My Facebook has been quiet about the SCOTUS rulings of Monday (with the exception of news outlets) and I am sitting here seething in anger so I made a post, because I was trying to talk to my (somewhat immature - she's young, it's ok) sister about it and she was just like, "who cares, go buy your own BC!" because she doesn't understand anything about anything yet. So I posted this, to "educate" all those people like her...

I've been quiet on this because I've been trying to cool off, but no more. Screw you, SCOTUS, and your little dog too.

1. Contraception is a preventative medication for a medical condition (pregnancy) that can be experienced only by women who were born biologically female. Laws that tie morality to it are explicitly discriminatory against women. While Hobby Lobby's case was about specific types of contraception, the ruling covers all.

2. Health insurance is part of compensation - the religion of the employer does not get to dictate how an employee spends their paycheck; similarly, the religion of the employer should have no bearing on how health insurance is used.

3. The ruling by SCOTUS came from the fact that Hobby Lobby's owners think that IUDs and morning after pills cause abortions, which is untrue. The bigger problem here, though, is that the wording of the ruling grants a corporation the opportunity to skirt governmental mandates, just on the basis that they BELIEVE something to be true, even if it is scientifically untrue. This issue would be different, had Hobby Lobby's case been based around the idea that their religion does not allow IUDs and emergency contraception; but they are basing it on their anti-abortion stance which is unrelated.

4. This ruling specifically targets contraception, which is a legal medication. This is, conceptually, no different from not covering blood transfusions, vaccines, transplants based on religious belief, because those, too, are legal medical practices. The door is open there, now, even if the ruling limits it to contraception. The precedent has been set.

5. Men are allowed sex for pleasure but women are told to close their legs. Medically, being a man is generally less expensive than being a woman. Any barriers to contraception, even indirect ones, are discriminatory to women specifically, no matter what the father's intentions are. It's not about potential single motherhood (although that is definitely a possibility). Couples should be able to choose when they have a child, if ever; women should be allowed to choose to sacrifice their bodies for 9 months (and after) to this end.

6. Condoms are not very effective, and many people have an allergy to latex. Not to mention, birth control is...legal.

7. While the argument can be made that women can just go purchase their own birth control, for those who are lower income this can be a huge commitment. The fact that it is being debated, specifically, comes from tying women's sexuality to morality. Furthermore, each woman is different and there are many attempts at finding a safe and effective birth control method for each woman; the cheapest option may not always be a good one.

8. An estimated 90% of companies are actually "closely-held." This is not limited to small little mom-and-pops (as if Hobby Lobby would be one of those), as supporters of the decision want you to believe.

9. An important point is that many women use birth control for non-sexual reasons, and for some it is life-saving. It's not an after-thought, but it is by far ideologically the least important reason because women should have the same freedom as men to have sex as they please without dire consequences.

10. Hobby Lobby claims to be pro-life, but they actively want to create barriers between women and preventative measures for unintended pregnancy. Any pro-lifer who is not enthusiastically pro-birth control, does not actually care about preventing abortions, but rather policing the sexual activity of women. Pro-life, indeed.

And guys, listen up: the people in the world trying to limit the sexual and reproductive freedom in the world? They are preventing you from getting laid. Get angry about it. You say, "If I knocked a woman up, I'd support the child!" Great for you. These people are making YOUR future harder as well. This affects everyone.

I'll let you guys know if anything goes down. So far, just likes and one dude going, "seriously!"

I think I am most squicky about this ruling because I have never felt SO DIRECTLY TARGETED in my life. We were on a car trip, heard it on the radio, and my fiancé just shouted ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME but I stayed silent, holding back tears. I never react that way to these things.